Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to sports boards such as snow boards, surfboards, and the like, and more particularly to an illuminated sports board.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,196, teaches an illuminated skateboard that includes a string of LED""s embedded in a groove located on the perimeter of the skateboard. The LED""s are controlled by a microcontroller mounted upon the bottom surface of the board.
Ekedal et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,141, teaches a skateboard that includes a rotatable disk mounted upon the top surface of the skateboard""s riding surface. Similar systems are taught in Copley et al., U.S. Pat No. 5,119,277, and Standley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,058.
The prior art teaches skateboards that include lights mounted upon the board. However, the prior art does not teach the construction of a sports board that includes an electro-luminescent sheet that is integrally mounted within the illuminated sports board. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention provides an illuminated sports board. The illuminated sports board is designed to be ridden in any of a variety of sports, including surfing, sky surfing, skating, snow boarding, knee boarding, or the like, and includes an illuminated display for decorative or advertising purposes. The illuminated sports board includes a riding platform having a top surface and a bottom surface; a microcontroller mounted on the top surface; a power source operably connected to the microcontroller; an electro-luminescent sheet positioned on the riding platform; an electrical circuit electrically connecting the microcontroller to the electro-luminescent sheet; and a translucent resin layer covering both the riding platform and the electro-luminescent sheet.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an illuminated sports board having advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide a novel and eye-catching decorative feature for sports boards, useful for both decoration and advertising and promotion.
A further objective is to provide a functional lighting mechanism that becomes an integral part of the sports board, thereby providing a system that is durable and unlikely to interfere with the performance of the sports board.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.